Phoenix police shoot and kill handcuffed man! Original Article Fleeing suspect killed by officer Brent Whiting The Arizona Republic Nov. 28, 2004 12:00 AM An ex-convict had vowed that he would rather be killed than go back to prison. That vow was fulfilled Saturday when he was fatally shot by a Phoenix police officer during a struggle while trying to flee from custody after a robbery arrest. The shooting occurred about 12:30 p.m. in northeast Phoenix when the handcuffed man tried to commandeer a vehicle to make his escape, police said. Officer Mike Harrison, 40, a six-year member of the Phoenix force, drew his service weapon and fired once, striking the man in the chest. The man, who had ignored repeated commands from Harrison to surrender, was pronounced dead at John C. Lincoln Hospital-North Mountain, said Detective Tony Morales, a police spokesman. Morales described the man as a 34-year-old ex-convict who had been paroled from prison this year after serving six years for a number of violent crimes. Police are withholding the man's name pending notification of family. "We had heard of him making statements to other people that he wasn't going back to prison," Morales said. "And, if necessary, he was going to have the police kill him." The shooting occurred on 56th Street north of Greenway Road near the police Desert Horizon Precinct. It took place after the suspect and a female companion had been taken into custody for questioning in a string of north Phoenix robberies. Morales gave this account: After his arrest, the male suspect claimed he was sick and couldn't breathe. He was checked by paramedics and found to be faking. As a precaution, police used two sets of handcuffs to restrain the man's hands behind his back. A set of cuffs was placed on each wrist, then the cuffs were joined in the middle, a move intended by police to lessen arm restrictions and make it easier for the man to breathe. When police arrived at the Desert Horizon Precinct, the man had managed to bring his handcuffed hands to the front. After an officer opened the back door of a patrol vehicle, the suspect knocked the female officer to the ground and ran. He was able to scale a precinct block wall that parallels 56th Street. Harrison, who had participated in the arrest, heard the commotion and gave chase. In the meantime, the suspect got into traffic and stopped a man of about 60 driving a white Saturn. The suspect opened a passenger door and was trying to wrest control of the vehicle when Harrison caught up with him and they began struggling. Harrison finally drew his weapon and fired to halt a possible kidnapping, Morales said. He said things happened so fast the officer lacked time to deploy his Taser stun gun. The Saturn driver was not injured, Morales said. The officer yelled at the man to drive away, but the motorist apparently "panicked and he was not able to do so," he said. Harrison will be placed on administrative leave pending an investigation. The incident marked at least the 24th time this year that Phoenix police have resorted to deadly force in confrontations with suspects.